Something Wicked This Way Comes
by Watercolour Stains
Summary: A Wendigo attack plus an unexpected and nasty revelation. You know you want to read and review! Follow up to Dimming Of The Day


Julian Jacobs looked around the living room appreciatively. He had spent the past few days cleaning it up, and now it looked as it did when his parents were still alive. He wiped a bit of sweat off his brow and smiled. He turned to Neva, who had been in the kitchen. "Hey," he called. "Neva! Come out here! Look at the living room now!" He waited as she made her way out to the room.  
While he waited, he collapsed in an armchair and heaved a big sigh. The living room was finally done. And that meant the whole house was finished. He gazed upon it, and his mind flashed to the other night, when they were on the Golden Gate Bridge. He smiled softly and remembered how extraordinary it was. He was glad, though, that they were on solid ground again. He wondered vaguely if anyone ever found his lost sweatshirt.

Neva, having been pottering around the kitchen, dusting the surfaces, turns her attention to the sink, piled high with cutlery and china. Sighing slightly at the mess before her, she turns on the tap and enchants a nearby cloth to clean the dishes whilst she mops the floor. She takes the mop from the side of the door and runs it across the floor, careful not to slip on the wood.  
She couldn't quite remember what had made her agree to help spring clean Julian's house. After all, it was non of her mess. Well... apart from the melted cauldron in the sink. she had forgotten to put out the fire she had lit underneath it for melting the silver. They had arrived to a rather grim sight upon their return after the drama with Hermenzah. And all that came after Neva thinks to herself with a wry smirk. It had been, overall, a rather hectic few days. She was glad to be back at a place one could deem home, even if it was to clean it. Neva hears Julian call from the living room and places the mop back in it's bucket. She smoothes out her polish stained clothes and checks that the dishes are being cleaned properly before she walks into the living room. Her eyebrow raises in amusement upon seeing how clean it is. " My my. We have been a busy beaver, haven't we" she says with a wry smirk. She walks over to an armchair and collapses into it, promptly being coated in a cloud of dust. She waves her hands around, trying to clear the cloud whilst coughing profusely. "I...think...you...missed...a bit!" she splutters.

Julian smirked as she came out. "Yes, I have," he said, chuckling slightly. He gave her the once-over and noticed that she looked a bit dirty herself. He supposed she was cleaning up the kitchen. He watched her as she sat down in an armchair. A large cloud emitted from it, and Julian exploded into a fit of laughter.  
He climbed off his own armchair as he pulled out his wand and muttered a spell to rid them of the dust. He seized Neva's hand and pulled her out; he had to grope around for a while, for she was still within the cloud of dust. He laughed again as he gazed at her dusty figure. "You look beautiful," he said cheekily, before muttering the spell again, and ridding her body of the dust. He released her hand and muffled his chuckling. He, of course, hadn't actually done that, but he didn't think the armchair had that much dust in it still. He shook his head, coughing slightly. "Having fun?" he asked.

From amidst the cloud of smoke, Neva feels Julian's hand groping around for her. Still somewhat stifled, she takes the hand gratefully and stands up. Her eyes are somewhat red and sore from the dust. She raises a coy eyebrow as Julian mentions her beauty. "Oh don't mess with me. You forget what happened to the last person who crossed my path" she says cheekily, recalling the figuring that was Hermenzah, stored safely on the Golden Gate Bridge.  
Neva raises her arms slightly, surveying her dust covered clothing. She smiles as Julian casts the spell to remove the dust, and the stains which was rather sweet of him. She never had gotten the hang of fully removing oil stains. Pulling her wand from her belt, Neva turns around and casts the spell on the armchair and sits down. She tucks her feet underneath her as she looks around the picturesque living room, the fireplace crackling nicely. Neva raises an eyebrow and gives Julian a rather sarcastic grin. "Yes. I'm having a whale of a time." She contemplates for a moment, continuing to scan the room, before speaking again. "Have you decided what you are going to do with the house once we return to Hogwarts. And when you've graduated, for that matter". She asks casually.

Julian snorted. "Yeah, like you'd really do that to me," he said smartly, batting his eyelashes sweetly. He watched her for a moment as she cast the spell on the armchair. He pulled his own chair over to hers and sat upon it. He shrugged as he pondered her question for a moment. "Well," he began, "I'm probably going to keep it," he said simply. "It's been in my family for generations, like all this land." He glanced out the window, and smiled at the apple orchard. He turned his gaze back towards Neva. "Besides, once I've graduated, I'm probably going to become…" he paused. "Actually, I haven't thought about what I'm going to do after Hogwarts. I know I'll probably be here, tending the orchard." He shrugged. "What about you?" he asked her suddenly. "What are you going to do after we've graduated?" He was rather curious as to what she had planned for her future.

Neva listens intently as Julian answers her question. Hmm... Become what? she thinks to herself. She was rather interested in knowing what would become of him after their graduation. After all, they couldn't remain students or free spirits forever, no matter how much they wished. "Tending the orchard? Is that it? wouldn't you like to travel or teach? You'd make an excellent History Of Magic Professor, or even Headmaster one day!" she comments. It was true. She felt that he had a lot of knowledge to pass on to others and thought it would be quite a shame if he did nothing with himself.  
Neva ponders his question for a moment. Until the end of the year she had been rather torn about which of her parent's footsteps to follow. She had firmly decided, however, after she had read one of her mother's old journals. " I have thought about it a lot and I have decided I would love to become a Transfiguration teacher, like my mother" she replies. She felt that perhaps her empathy for both sides, both light and dark, would somehow cloud her judgement if she were to become an Auror. It wasn't that she supported the use of torture spells and other forms of black magic. She could just relate to what would make them snap and become much maligned in their intent. She herself, and Julian of course, had been through more than most people their ages. She knew what it was like to snap in her unbridled attack on Hermenzah.

Julian thought for a moment. "You can see me as a History of Magic Professor?" he repeated. "Or Headmaster?!" His eyebrows shot up. "I think you're giving me too much credit." He chuckled for moment. "Well, I'd like to travel, yes, but my place is here with my family's orchard." He shrugged. He hadn't really thought about it. He'd always assumed he'd be at home, following in his father's footstep. He didn't really think about travelling, or even becoming a Professor. "A Transfiguration professor, hmm?" he said, nodding. "Well, that's only fitting, isn't it?" he asked. "Your love of Transfiguration would make you a brilliant professor." Now, that was something he could see. Not himself becoming a Professor. He studied her for a moment, and could imagine her as a Professor. "Would you like to teach at Hogwarts?" he asked, "Or some other school?" He glanced out the window once more, and noticed a tree fall. He frowned, wondering what had just happened. It was only when he turned his attention back to Neva was when he heard a loud roar.

Neva frowns slightly. Julian hadn't much faith in his own ability or destiny, that much was certain. Perhaps she could help to condition that right out of him. After all, what else are lovers for? Apart from the obvious.  
Neva ponders Julian's inquiry for a moment. She hadn't thought about where she would like to teach. "Well... I have been told that my mother's job at Beauxbatons is available to me once I'm ready to take on the responsibility. I was told, of this I am not totally sure of as it seems rather absurd to me, that I was the best Transfiguration student they had for a long while. Perhaps it's only fitting that I return. If not to see what has become of my old Professors". She had heard that her favourite Arithmancy teacher, Professor Rylaw-Jenkinson, was still in his post. He would be in his mid forties by now, Neva assumed. She remembered that she had quite the crush on him when he taught her.  
Neva is about to ask which room was in need of a blitz next when she hears a loud roar come from the apple orchard. She jumps from her seat, her wand raised. " I'm sorry for my PG 13 language but what the fuck was that?" she asks, watching in horror as more trees are knocked down.

Julian nodded. "Beauxbatons, hmm?" He smiled softly. "That's good," he said, then chuckled. "Your old Professors. That would be quite interesting to see." He eyed the window worriedly as he continued to listen to Neva.  
But when he noticed more trees fall over, he jumped up from his chair and walked over to the window. He disregarded Neva's language and shook his head. "I don't know," he said, a bit angry. "I'm going to check it out." He pulled out his wand and headed outside to see what the disturbance was.

Neva watches as Julian pulls out his wand. "Be careful" she shouts after him as he closes the door behind him. She walks over to the window and looks out, watching as he walks across the lawn and into the midst of the orchard. She cranes herself trying to see what is going on. All she can see is the trees rustle around whatever is in the orchard. More roars are emitted from that area, causing Neva's stomach to lurch sickeningly. She watches for some time with no sign of Julian returning from the orchard.  
Not willing to wait any longer, Neva takes her wand and opens the door. She practically runs down the steps and across the lawn until she reaches the orchard. Taking a deep breath, she walks into the mist of trees, looking around frantically. "Julian?" she calls out, worried about what could have happened. "Julian!!!" she asks, more forcefully.

Julian barely heard Neva tell him to be careful, but he nodded all the same. He walked out to the orchard and looked around, his wand held out. "Lumos," he muttered, and a shot of bright light emitted from his wand. He waved it around, not seeing anything but fallen trees. He wondered what the hell had happened.  
He was now deep in the orchard, in the very middle, when he heard Neva calling for him. He turned round and was about to call to her, when a large roar erupted from behind him. He frowned, and turned back slowly.  
He let out a large yell as a creature, ugly as it was large, advanced on him. He tripped over a root of an apple tree as he scrambled to get away. What the hell is that thing?! he thought, terrified out of his wits. "Ex-expelliarmus!" he shouted, nervous. The thing reared back and fell over another tree, dragging it with it. Julian took that chance to scramble to his feet and make a run for it back to the house. He spotted Neva, looking confused and worried, as he rushed back. He shouted to her, and seized her arm as he ran past. He ran back into the house, pulling her with him. "Holy shit," he panted, as they entered the living room. He released her arm and headed to the window. He could still see the creature roaring and ripping down trees. Julian was furious that it was destroying his orchard, but for now, he was just glad he'd escaped with his life.

Neva jumps as something bursts through the thicket. Her heart pumps faster as she tries to decipher what it is. She lets out a sigh of relief as Julian appears, grabbing her arm as he makes to run back to the house. She runs beside him, throwing looks behind them, wondering what on earth the creature is. Once safely back inside the house, she locks the door with several spells and stands, gasping for breath as Julian watches the creature tear up the orchard from the window.  
Suddenly being enlightened with thought, Neva turns on her heels. " I think I know what could help to shed light on our predicament" she exclaims before running up the stairs to Julian's bedroom. She bustles through the door and runs to the bookshelves. "Where is it?" she mumbles to herself as she searches through the titles for the book she had liberated from Hermenzah's house. Finding it, she grabs it and runs out of the room and down the stairs.  
Entering the living room again, she pushes the magazines and old copies of The Daily Prophet off of the coffee table carelessly and places the book in their place. "Julian. I'm gonna need your help here. I never got a glimpse of the creature so I don't know what to look for. You're gonna have to look for it. We'll only know how to stop it if we know what it is" she says hurriedly, the large book spread eagled before her.

Julian turned to see what Neva was speaking about as he saw her come back downstairs with a large book. He smiled softly and walked over to her. "It was freaking huge," he said, still a bit shaky. The thing had scared the crap out of him. He pored over the book, flipping through the pages. He stopped every few pages, then cursed quietly. "Damn," he said. "I can't find…" he paused, flipping back. "Wait a minute." He stared down at a large, ugly creature and gave a shout, pointing to it.  
"That's it!" he said, a bit loudly. "That's the foul creature that's killing my orchard!" He looked down upon the book, and his eyes widened as he read up on it. "Oh no…" he said. "This can't be what it is"  
He glanced up at Neva, then back at the book, reading aloud. "It's a Wendigo," he said, then began to read to her. "In the mythology of the Algonquian-speaking tribes of Native Americans, the Wendigo is a malevolent supernatural creature. It is usually described as a giant with a heart of ice; sometimes it is thought to be entirely made of ice. Its body is skeletal and deformed, with missing lips and toes. The first accounts of the Wendigo myth by explorers and missionaries date back to the 17th century. They describe it rather generically as a werewolf, devil, or cannibal. The Wendigo was usually presumed to have once been human. Different origins of the Wendigo are described in variations of the myth. A hunter may become the Wendigo when encountering it in the forest at night, or when becoming possessed by its spirit in a dream. When the cannibalistic element of the myth is stressed, it is assumed that anyone who eats corpses in a famine becomes a Wendigo as a result. The only way to destroy a Wendigo is to melt its heart of ice," he paused. "How the hell do we do that"  
He frowned, then continued to read, "In recent times, it has been identified with Sasquatch or Bigfoot by crypto zoologists, but there is little evidence in the indigenous folklore for it being a similar creature. It could be indicative of starvation that the Wendigo is said to consume moss and other unpalatable food when human flesh is unavailable. Its physical deformities are suggestive of starvation and frostbite, so the Wendigo may be a myth based on a personification of the hardships of winter and the taboo of cannibalism. In some stories a Wendigo can follow a lone wanderer for long times. When the prey gets suspicious and turns around the Wendigo always manages to get out of sight by hiding behind a tree. After a while the followed person starts to get hysteric and runs until he makes an error. Then the Wendigo strikes. When someone actually survives a Wendigo attack they usually get the Wendigo-fever: After a night of nightmares and pain in their legs, Wendigo-fevered people strip themselves naked and run into the forest screaming"  
He looked up at Neva. "I've also heard that they wake from hibernation every 10 years and eat human flesh. Maybe that's why it's here. Because it knows about us." He glanced out the window. The roaring had stopped, and so did the noise of falling trees.

Neva leans back in her seat in alarm as Julian reads the description of the creature, who's name she has learned it Wendigo. "Wow" she says absently. her hands tucked between her knees for lack of anything else to do with them. Her eyes widen in thought, thinking about how they could go about ridding themselves of the thing.  
" What do you suppose we do to get rid of it?" Neva asks. "Short of cutting it open and using a fire charm on its heart, I don't know what to suggest" she frowns. " I don't know about you but I sure as hell am not getting close enough to it to do that."

Julian smiled grimly. "Yeah, I agree with you. From what I saw of it earlier, there's no way I'm going out there without protection again." He shuddered. The creature was horribly evil, and he hated the fact that it was so close to them.  
He thought for a moment. "Maybe there's something else in one of my books upstairs that could help us?" he pondered aloud. He stood up from his kneeling position and wandered upstairs into his room. He ran his fingers over the spines of books in his bookcase, searching for anything that would help them.

Neva bites her lip nervously and watches Julian dissapear out of the room. She picks herself up from her seat and walks into the kitchen, for lack of anything better to do. Thinking that she hadn't eaten in a long while, she looks through the cupboards half heartedly. Finding nothing that would appease her, she resigns herself to chewing at a stick of celery.  
Whilst stood leaning against the worktop, lost in reverie, there is another loud roar. Funny. It sounds so much closer than before. Neva jumps slightly upon hearing it. She takes her wand from her belt and edges closer to the doorframe. She thought that she would have a look out of the window to see if she could spot the creature.  
Before Neva has anytime to cast any sort of spell, something, presumably the Wendigo, bursts through the front door and grabs her. She drops her wand in the confusion, trying desperately to hold on to the door frame. With a short scream, the frame cracks in her fingers and Neva is dragged away into the orchard, the front door swinging on its overburdened hinges and her wand laying on the kitchen floor.

Julian had just found a book, and was looking through it when he heard another loud roar. He frowned and pored over the book again. He sighed, and almost chuckled when he read on how to kill a Wendigo. "Why's it always silver?" he asked, exasperated. "The only problem…I don't have a silver axe…" He shrugged, and closed the book. He was halfway down the hall and almost near the stairwell when he heard Neva's frantic scream. He dropped the book and hurtled down the stairs.  
He only just made downstairs to see Neva's hair whip out of sight. Julian cursed loudly as he ran out the door, his wand now in his white-knuckled grip. "Neva!" he shouted angrily. His eyes were wide, and he feared for Neva's life. Realizing he still had Neva's dagger in his holster on his left jeans pocket, he ran after the Wendigo and chased it. It was incredibly fast, but Julian had his wand on with him. He raised the wand high, and still running, shouted, "Accio Broom!" He continued to run after Neva and the Wendigo as he waited for the broom to come.  
They were now in the middle of the orchard when his broom zoomed next to him. He hastily jumped on it and sped after them. He hoped to Merlin that when he reached them, Neva wasn't already dead. He sped after them into the woods beyond the orchard.

Neva kicks at the beast, trying desperately to break free from it's grasp. It had her by the waist and was not about to let her go without a fight. " Come on! You don't want me. I'm chewy" she reasons, mock biting her shoulder and looking disgusted. " See. Yucky Neva. Bad Neva. ". She grows more frantic as they enter deeper into the orchard. Her heart pumps faster with each step the Wendigo takes.  
Neva, realising that reasoning was doing nothing for her cause, begins to pummel the creatures back. It just roars in protest and carries on loping along, anticipating its next meal. Neva digs her nails into a passing tree and tries desperately to hold on as the creature pulls her, almost ripping her in half. She cries out in pain as it feels as though it is about to succeed. Reluctantly, she lets go of the tree. She can hear faint whooshing in the distance. Not knowing, or caring for that matter, what it is, she begins to call out to it. " Help!" she shouts repeatedly.  
Its patience having been worn down, the Wendigo pummels Neva over the head with its fist. The last thing she takes note of before slipping into unconsciousness is the creature dropping her onto the dirt clod floor in a clearing at the heart of the orchard.

Julian spotted Neva holding desperately onto a tree as the Wendigo continues to take its prize. He growled angrily as she releases her grip and shouts for help. He didn't reply though; he knew she wouldn't be able to hear him in the noise coming from the Wendigo.  
He followed the Wendigo, dodging trees and bushes as it sauntered its way to the heart of the orchard. He slowed down a bit when the Wendigo hit Neva. His temper flared to life as he circled the clearing, looking for the perfect way to attack. He saw that Neva was now laying the ground. This was good. He would have a clear attack. He stowed away his wand for the moment, and flew around, this time above the clearing. The Wendigo roared once more, its hairy body loping towards Neva's unconscious one. "You touch her again, and you'll regret the day you ever came onto my land," Julian growled softly. He pulled out the silver dagger, and aimed it towards the Wendigo. He swooped down in low and close, piercing the Wendigo with the dagger. It reared its ugly head and smacked Julian off his broom. The broom itself flew off into the distance, landing somewhere to the left of them. Julian flew to the ground, his back smacking a tree, hard and painfully. He almost blacked out, but forced himself to pull Neva to him. "You won't touch her, you disgusting, foul creature," he choked out. He wiped some blood off his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. "You won't touch her."

Neva stirs slowly, her eyes fluttering.She opens them a fraction, truggling to make sense of the world through her blurred vision. Groaning, she props herself up, not quite sure what had happened before she blacked out. She could remember being in Julian's kitchen, cleaning. After that was a mystery. " What the? owwww" she yelps as her exclamation causes her head much pain. She speaks quieter. " What's going on?" she asks Julian, who was sat beside her in apparent pain. He isn't given time to respond, however, as she hears a loud roar.  
Suddenly, Neva's memory returns to her. She turns and sees the Wendigo, it's face a few centimetres from her own. Still maintaining her eye contact with the creature, she gropes for her wand. She remembers dropping it onto the kitchen floor and bites her lip. She resigns herself to a rock laying beside her. She picks it up and smacks the Wendigo at the side of the head, jumping up to stand in front of Julian who was in no fit state to fight. The Wendigo stumbles backwards as it is hit, clutching its head.  
Neva ducks as a heavy blow is aimed at her. " Is that all you have?" she asks rhetorically, ducking from another blow. "Come on, big boy! Show me what a real beast can do!" she taunts. She didn't have long to wait to find out, as the creature takes another swing at her, this time making contact. Neva is thrown into a tree, her head cracking against the bark sickeningly. She stumbles for a moment before her eyes roll to the back of her head and she collapses in a heap on the floor, blood pooling steadily across the dirt.

Julian watched dizzily as Neva hit the Wendigo with a rock. Looks like he had missed the creature's heart when he stabbed it . "Damn," he groaned. He watched her in disbelief as she taunted the thing. He let out a yell though, when she was knocked against a tree. That was it. This stupid Wendigo was really pissing him off. He seized a low branch on the tree that he was leaning against, and pulled himself up. He groped around in his pockets for his wand and pulled it out. He thought desperately for a spell he could use, then remembered what Neva had said earlier.  
"Short of cutting it open and using a fire charm in its heart, I don't know what to suggest"  
Julian stood up fully and aimed his wand at the creature's heart. He knew that this was a far stretch, but it would have to do. It was all he had to work with. "Diffindo!" The Wendigo roared its displeasure as blood spurted from the targeted area. The dagger fell out and fell to the ground with a soft clatter. The creature roared and turned away from them. It was finished with them, for now. Julian watched it leave, and just let it go. He had more pressing matters right then. He turned to Neva and stumbled over to her. He saw the puddle of blood mixed with dirt, making it black. He frowned, and knelt down next to her. He aimed his wand at her, and muttered, "Enervate."

Neva's eye's flutter slightly as Julian casts the charm to wake her. She opens them groggily, a sudden feeling of nausea sweeping over her. She tries to get up but the pain in her head forced her back to the ground. "Oww. My head" she groans. The wound had stopped bleeding thankfully.

Neva rolls over to her side and tries to get up. She stops as she is racked with coughs. Her eyes grow wide as she realises that there is fresh blood on the ground. She coughs again and realises where the blood is coming from. She's coughing it up. "Eww" she says quietly. "That's not good" she says to herself.

Julian sat by her, his eyes watching her frantically. He didn't like the fact that Neva was coughing up blood. He seized her by the shoulders and gently pulled her against him. He carefully stood up, slowly pulling her with him. "Careful," he said gently. "I don't want you getting more hurt than you already are"  
He allowed her to lean upon him as they walked slowly back to the house. It was a lot further than he first thought, and he remembered his broom had fallen somewhere. He thought for a moment whether or not to retrieve it, but then he knew that it would only hurt Neva more. He didn't want to hurt her anymore; he didn't know how badly the Wendigo had injured her. He continued walking, sparing her the effort of any conversation.

Neva allows herself to be pulled towards Julian, her stomach screaming in protest. It was still sore from when the Wendigo had tried to prise her from the tree. Her vision still blurred slightly, she holds onto Julian's shirt, stumbling slightly as he helps her to her feet. Neva walks slowly along with Julian, leaning against him for fear of falling back down to the earth. Her legs seem somewhat like jelly, as though at any given moment they would fold underneath her. "Where do you thing the Wendigo went?" she asks quietly, struggling to convey her words. She though that perhaps she would be okay after a quick nap. Although she knew that was out of the question as with any head injury, there was a risk that she may never wake up again. She resigns herself to whatever healing charms Julian knew.

Julian turned his head to her slightly as they walked on. He shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said truthfully. "But I'm glad that wherever it went, it went. We weren't ready for that." His eyes softened as he looked at her. "Besides, even though we weren't ready, there was no way in hell I was going to let that creature kill you. No chance in hell." He chuckled feebly. In order to save Neva, he had almost cost them both their lives. He was stupid! Stupid!  
He shook his head to rid his head of the insulting thoughts that had invaded it, and forced himself instead to focus on getting Neva back to the house. He saw how painful it was for her to walk, so he gently picked her up, and carried her bridal style. It was the only way to keep her from straining herself and possibly injuring herself further. While he walked back with her, he racked his brain for healing spells that he knew.

Neva bites her lip as she holds on to Julian harder than she had intended. " Well we'll be ready for it next time" she manages to seethe. Her every muscle felt as thought it was attacking her from the inside. "This route doesn't seem to be taking us anywhere closer to our destination" she thinks with a rather heavy heart. All she felt like doing at this moment in time was sleeping. Neva sighs gratefully as Julian picks her up. She rests her head on his shoulder, attempting to drown out the pain. She knew she was slowing him down and was incredibly disheartened by it. Maybe this was all her fault? She shouldn't have let herself be captured by the creature. Neva closes her eyes for a moment, intent on thinking of a way to rid themselves of the Wendigo. A moment turned into two, then three. It stretches until she slips back into unconsciousness.

Julian felt her lay her head on his shoulder and he relaxed just a bit. He smiled softly, glad that he had her back with him. He didn't say anything, but just let the silence wash over them.  
The house came into view after he walked what seemed like miles. He breathed a sigh of relief and hurried into the house. He walked up to his bedroom, and gently set Neva down upon the bed. He noticed she was now unconscious, and he hoped that she wasn't hurting too badly.  
He walked into the bathroom connected to his room and splashed cold water over his face. He knew how badly he looked. He racked his brain yet again as he walked back to the bedroom, and sat on the bed, staring at Neva. He didn't wake her up, letting her sleep. Instead, he pulled out his wand and aimed it at Neva. He thought of a particular healing spell and muttered it. He watched as her head injury healed itself, and he wished that he had hung out with the nurse more often, instead of just going there once.  
He watched her sleep for a while longer before turning and heading downstairs to fix the door and its doorframe.

Neva stirs slowly, her senses returning to her. She opens her eyes and sees Julian's bedroom ceiling. He must have carried me all the way she thinks to herself, hoping he hadn't over exerted himself. She reluctantly begins to sit up, her head still pounding away, as if somebody were inside her head, beating out a rhythm.  
Neva sits on the edge of the bed, trying to gauge her surroundings. Feeling somewhat nauseaus, she stands up gingerly and stumbles out of the room. She walks down the steps quietly, watching as Julian attempts to fix the doorframe. She sits down on one of the lower steps, holding the banister as she seats herself. She stays there, studying him silently.

Julian had grabbed some hammers and nails from the supply closet in the laundry room and was now trying to fix the doorframe. Sweat was pouring down his face as he tried desperately to fix it before the Wendigo returned, and possibly killed them.  
He sat back for a moment, taking a slight breath. He stretched and cracked his neck. He was going to do everything he could to prevent the damned creature from returning to harm Neva. He didn't care if he died in the process, but if she got hurt again…  
He let out an angry cry and threw the hammer at the doorframe, injuring it further. He didn't notice Neva sitting there, watching him. He was too absorbed in his fury towards the Wendigo, and pure anger at himself to notice anything.

Neva jumps as Julian lets out an angry cry and throws the hammer he is using to try and repair the door frame. She picks herself up off the step gingerly, and walks over to where Julian is sat seething. She sits down beside him, clutching her stomach as it screams in protest.  
She sits there for a moment before speaking. " You know it's not your fault. And there was certainly nothing you could have done. There's no use getting worked up over something you couldnt prevent" she tells him quietly, hoping that he doesn't choose to vent his anger towards her.

Julian turned his head sharply, looking at Neva, obviously pissed off. He laughed bitterly, standing up. "You should be in bed," he said, a bit harsher than he intended. "I don't want you getting hurt even more ." He turned his gaze away from her and walked past her, into the laundry room.  
He wasn't ticked off at her, of course not. He was angry with himself, for not protecting her properly. For not keeping a closer watch on her. He did this. He allowed the damn creature to capture her, and almost kill them both. And on top of all this, his orchard was being destroyed. This Wendigo wasn't on his good list. He really wanted to kill it, and he dug through supply closet, looking for the silver axe that would kill it. But then Neva's previous suggestion flashed through his mind. He ceased looking for the axe and grabbed his wand, which he'd left on the counter in the kitchen when he began to work on the doorframe. He walked back out into the foyer, where he'd left Neva, and stared at her. "Go back to bed," he said harshly. "I'm going to kill the thing. I'll be back." He didn't look back as he walked out of the house. He was pissed off, and it showed.

Neva glares at Julian as he orders her to return to bed. She wasn't an invalid, nor should she be treated like one. She watches him return from the laundry room and walk out of the door, completely unaware of her look of pure annoyance. She knew he was not holding her accountable for what happened, it just irked her that he was being so patronising. Watching Julian walk out of the house, she waits until he is safely out of sight before picking herself up off of the ground and walking into the kitchen. She scribbles a quick note to Julian, telling him of her plans to kill the Wendigo, before turning to her next task.  
Searching through the cutlery drawers, Neva removes the largest knives she can find and tucks them into her belt along with her wand. She pauses for a moment, holding onto the counter for support as another wave of nausea washes over her. Once the feeling had subsided, she turns on her heels and strides over to the door. She was going to get rid of the creature, no matter what the cost. Neva walks down the porch steps and strides over the lawn towards the orchard. She pulls her wand from her belt and holds it before her. "Lumos" she whispers as she enters the thicket. A thin beam of light is cast upon her surroundings, helping her to find her way. She had no idea where she was or where she was headed, she just knew that it would be wise to get there before nightfall.

Julian's expression softened to one of shame as he wandered through the orchard. He felt bad for snapping at Neva. He knew he shouldn't have done that. After all, she risked her own life to help him with Hyde… He knew he should have been grateful that she was just alive. And he was grateful, he was just angry with himself that he had allowed her to get hurt.  
He was glad though, that she was safe in the house, at least for the time being. He muttered Lumos, and looked around. The Wendigo wasn't around, and all was quiet. It was like it hadn't even come, except for the evidence of fallen trees.  
He frowned, and was about to just starting shooting of hexes just to let off some steam when he heard a loud roar from his right. He spun around, and saw the Wendigo's eyes glinting in the shine of his wand's light. He growled softly, and ran after it when it turned and hurried away.

Neva is starting to feel rather tired of searching for no apparent avail, when she hears a loud roar emanating for the far end of the orchard. Running as fast as her screaming muscles will allow, she heads towards where she thought the roar was situated. She swerves around trees and jumps over tree trunks as she races towards it.  
Neva stops in mid run as she catches sight of the Wendigo. It stops it's escape and turns around to face her, it's eyes boring straight into hers. Not thinking for her own safety, Neva runs at the beast and jumps onto its back. As it flails wildly, she takes a knife from her belt and buries it deep into the creature, as far as it will go.

Julian heard the Wendigo emit yet another loud roar. Only this time, it seemed to be in pain. He wondered what could have injured the creature. He rushed towards the sound, only to find Neva plunging something into it.  
"Neva!" he shouted, his wand raised. He rushed to the flailing creature and Neva. He had only just reached them when the Wendigo flung Neva off its body. Julian fell back, Neva crashing into him. He fell to the ground and hastily pushed Neva off him. He wanted to see if she was alright, but he was in no mood for pretenses. Right now, he wanted to kill the damn thing.

Neva pulls the knife along the Wendigo's chest, making a deep wound. She digs her hands deep into the creatures neck so as to get a decent grip. This fails to help her, however, as she is flung off of the creature. She crashes into something solid and falls to the ground, her previous wounds screaming angrily at her. She yelps slightly as she is pushed off of the object. Looking up, she realises that it is Julian.  
Neva gingerly picks herself up off of the ground and stands poised, her wand held out before her. She wasn't sure whether she had cut deep enough to reveal the creatures heart. She stood, waiting for a better view of the wound, hoping to catch a glimpse of it beating so as to cast the fire charm onto it. "Well I don't know how much fun you're having Julian, but I'm certainly having a wonderful birthday" she hisses, sarcasm oozing from her words.

Julian was just about to aim a curse at the Wendigo to render it paralyzed, when he heard Neva's remark. He turned and stared at her, his mouth open. Oh god. He didn't know it was her birthday. Wait…come to think of it…he realized he didn't know all that much about her. He knew her past, but he didn't know what she liked, what she hated…what her birthday was. His expression turned to one of shame. And he'd been taking his anger out on her all day. Oh, he felt even more horrible now. And it was just this pounding headache either.  
"Neva…" he began, advancing towards her. He opened his mouth to apologize to her, but didn't have the chance, however, because the Wendigo smacked him with its hand, and knocked him over to the side. He painfully smashed into a tree. His vision blurred terribly, and he saw that it was advancing towards Neva. He tried to get up, and stop it, but was ceased by a terrible pain in his right leg. The pain was so unbearable he drifted in and out of consciousness as he helplessly watched the Wendigo advance towards Neva.

Neva screams involuntarily as the Wendigo slams Julian into a tree as he turns to her. She narrows her eyes, feeling a new sense of hatred towards the creature. "Oh you don't know when to quit, do you bigfoot" she mocks. Her words irk the creature as it lopes towards her, growling steadily louder. She scans the resh wound, and grins broadly as she spots the Wendigo's beating organ underneath it's flesh.  
Neva clenches her wand tighter in her hand, and licks her lips in anticipation. "Inscendio!" she shouts, swinging her arm around to aim her wand at the creature. It screams as it's heart breaks out in flames which licked at it's flesh deliciously. It falls to the ground, clutching at its breast, its every muscle screaming out in pain as they are deprived of their elixir. With one last weak growl, the creature is fully engulfed in flame.  
Feeling satisfied that the creature shall be no further burden to them, Neva stops the flame with a quick water charm before walking over to where Julian was lying. She crouches down and inspects his wound. She casts a healing charm on his leg, the wound dissappearing before her eyes.

Julian's vision was still blurred, but he could make out Neva casting the Incendio charm and finally killing the creature. He smiled softly, and closed his eyes, willing the pain to go away. He didn't notice Neva cast a healing charm on him, but did feel the pain leave him. He opened his eyes and his gaze fell upon her.  
He smiled softly at her. "I'm sorry," he apologized, before laying his head down on the ground. He was truly exhausted. And he felt guilty, and shamed as well.  
With his head still resting on the ground, he stared up at Neva. He was, at first, going to reprimand her for following him, but thought better of it. If she hadn't had come…he would most likely be dead. He just stared at her as he realized, again, that he didn't know much about her. He felt horrible. They'd been through so many things, and yet, he didn't even know when her birthday was. Which, surprisingly, happened to be today. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

Neva crosses her legs on the ground, watching as Julian attempts to lift his head but thinks better of it. She couldn't help but wonder if he was going to yell at her for following him. He had been on edge all day, much to her dismay. Perhaps just letting him stew would be the best medicine to rectify his sour mood. Either that or a confrontation. She knew this was a bad idea, however. She didn't want to argue with him. He meant too much to her. After all they had been through together they deserved a little happiness.  
Neva rubs Julian's shoulder absently as he apologises. "You have nothing to apologise for hun. Your bad mood was well founded. I personally have no idea how you managed to stay so calm" she smirks. Perhaps her cool and collected nature was starting to rub off on him.

Julian smiled softly. He almost chuckled as he listened to her. He gingerly sat up and leaned against the tree that was behind him. "I was just so worried about you. I didn't want it to hurt you anymore. And then I find out that today's your birthday. It just added fuel to the fire. I wasn't angry at you," he explained, a bit embarrassed. "I was furious with myself. And I took it out on you, when I should have been taking it out on the Wendigo"  
At the mention of the creature, Julian turned his head and stared at her, chuckling appreciatively. "You really wasted the thing," he said. "I'm impressed." He looked back at Neva, and rested a hand on her neck. He pulled her in close. "I'm sorry," he apologized again. "I'll make it up to you, I swear I will." He smiled softly and pulled her into a kiss.

Neva holds out a hand to Julian's shoulder, easing him as he sits up against a tree. " I'm fine. Honestly. Just the odd ache and pain but nothing a little rest will take care of" she winces slightly. She wasn't so sure that a sleep would take care of her stomach injury but she knew better than to bring it up. A trip to St Mungo's was the last think she wanted. " What better way to make you glad of your birth than almost be killed!" she chuckles lightly. "It certainly put my feelings into perspective" she simpers. Her grin stretches wide across her alabastor face as Julian praises her handywork. " Well...I had help. It was kinda fun though" she smirks. She relaxes as he pulls her into a long anticipated kiss. She couldn't help but be thankful for her reward.

Julian sighed softly after he broke off the kiss. He leaned across Neva, and seized his wand, which had been knocked out of his hand. He stowed it away in his pocket and pushed himself up against the tree. He slowly pulled himself up, and pulled Neva up when he was fully standing. He smirked at her when she said it was fun.  
"Well," he said, glancing at the Wendigo. "I'm thinking the wild animals will rid us of the body. What say you to heading back to the house? I'll make you a wonderful birthday dinner." He smiled at her, actually happy now that she had come out and helped him. "It'll be a combination though. Of your birthday, and a thank you, for helping me out. With everything…" he trailed off as they began to walk back to the house.

Neva bites her lip softly as Julian breaks off their kiss. She winces as he pulls her to her feet, the muscles in her stomach stretching nastily." Oww..." she mutters quietly to herself, rubbing the area absently. "Hopefully the animals will. I don't want the orchard to reek" she smirks, wrapping her arm around Julian's shoulder as they began to walk, disregarding her pain. Her eyes light up as Julian mentions cooking foe her. "My my. We are house trained, arn't we" she teases. She hopes that he has the foresight not to cook anything that used to be living and walking. She would hate to upset him after his hard work.

Julian smirked. "Hey, hey, now. Don't go getting the idea that I've been whipped. I just feel bad that I didn't know your birthday. And I snapped at you on it too." He felt horrible, he really did.  
They continued to walk for a while, but slowly. Julian was hurting, but he knew Neva was too. He didn't want to force extra effort on both their parts. When they finally did reach the house though, Julian's muscles were screaming in agony. He'd have to put off the dinner for an hour or so. He really needed to take a soak in a hot bath. He voiced this to Neva. "I hope you're not hungry just yet. I need to get my strength back up before I cook you a brilliant dinner. I'm going to take a hot bath first. Won't be too long," he said, gingerly taking the steps one at a time. He turned back at stared down at Neva when he reached the top. "You're welcome to take one with me," he offered, grinning broadly. He didn't give her a chance to respond though, before disappearing into the bathroom.

Neva wrinkles her nose slightly. " I don't think I would like it if you were. I like a man who can think for himself and work for his own conclusions. It's much more satisfying that somebody following your every whim." she shrugs. They really did irk her. She held high value to people with their own minds and thoughts.  
When they reach the house, Neva holds the still rather mangled door open for Julian and waits for him to walk through it. She enters the house, herself, gripping the door handle rather harder than she had intended. She walks over and rests her head onto the stair banister as he makes his way slowly up the steps. "Okay hun. I'm fine. You go relax". She raises an eyebrow at Julian's low brow comment. "I think I'll pass" she smirks before letting go of the banister and walking away.  
Neva walks over to the living room but pauses at the doorway, clutching the door frame. A sudden wave of nausea had overcome her already weakened state. Turning on her heels, she makes her way up the stairs to the second bathroom. She pushes the door open quickly, barely having time to make her way to the toilet before she throws up. This carries on for a good while, her throat and stomach raw with the churning of her muscles. She opens her eyes slightly, a little scared at the sight of more blood. closing her eyes again, she wretches, not sure of what else could make a reappearance. She sits, clutching her stomach in agony as her throat lurches horribly, tears stinging her eyes.

Julian lowered himself into the steaming hot bath and closed his eyes. The hot water was doing wonders to his sore muscles. He heard Neva enter the second bathroom, and smiled. So she needed a bath as well. But then he heard her retching. He hoped she was alright. He was going to leave the bath and check on her, but decided against it. He didn't want to bother her. And he was sure she wouldn't want him to see her like that.  
He relaxed in the bath for a little while longer, keeping an ear out for Neva. After he decided enough was enough, he drained the water, and dressed in new clothes from his closet. He popped a few aspirin and began to feel a little bit better. He made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. He sat down at the kitchen table, wondering what he could make Neva for a birthday dinner. That, and the fact that he'd have sneak out of the house to fetch something for her to open after dinner. He wondered what she'd like.

After a long while of standing at the sink, trying to get her breath back, Neva straightens up. She pulls a rather strained smile onto her sickly white face, unaware of the small amount of blood still at the base of her lip. She brushes her hair out of her eyes before opening the bathroom door gingerly.  
Neva walks out of the bathroom and makes her way down the stairs, her legs threatening to buckle slightly underneath her. She walks into the kitchen, her pale, somewhat damp face contrasting with her ebony hair. She sits down shakily at the kitchen table, smiling at Julian.

Julian looked up as Neva entered the kitchen. He watched her sit down. She looked terribly sick. He spotted blood on her lip and frowned. "Neva," he said sternly, but not harshly. "Are you alright?" He didn't mention the blood on her lip, but only hinted it to her by wiping his own lip. His free hand clasped hers. "Are you sick?" he asked. "Did that thing do something to you before I got there?" A worried look was plastered on his face, and he was really concerned for her wellbeing.

Neva looks up at Julian, a rather glazed expression on her face. She notices him motion to her by wiping his lip and quickly wipes her own, noticing a trickle of blood on her finger. She wipes it on a napkin before scrunching it up and throwing it into a nearby bin.  
She watches as Julian takes her hand. She feels rather detached from everything, her head feeling especially light. A lump rose in her throat, causing her to swallow hard before responding. "I'm fine. Honestly." she lies, not wishing to spoil Julian's treat. " No. It didn't. I just had the beatings like you saw" she replies. She notices a rather concerned look on his face. This saddened her slightly. She didn't want his evening to be ruined. He deserved a good night of frivolity.

Julian shook his head. "Neva, please," he pleaded. "Just tell me what's wrong." She looked sick, and Julian wasn't going to allow himself to just forget it and have a good night. He'd do anything to make sure Neva wasn't sick.  
"Please?" he asked again. "I don't want anything to happen to you tonight. Just tell me what's wrong." He frowned once more, and let it drop. He knew she wasn't going to say anything, she was too proud for that, but he still would have liked to know why she was retching in the bathroom, and coughing up blood. Because, as far as he knew, coughing up blood was a bad thing.

Neva wraps her arms around her shoulders thoughtfully. Truth be told, she hadn't any clue what was wrong with her. She just attributed it to her stomach injury. Perhaps she had suffered more than a few stretched muscles.  
She looks at Julian, sighing slightly. " I don't know. It only started after the Wendigo knocked me out. It's probably nothing." she reasons. Her eyes swim, making her vision dance before her and making her feel nauseas again. She jumps up from her seat and, knowing she wouldn't have time to make it to the bathroom, she runs over to the sink, coating the bottom in a thin layer of blood. Her legs buckle underneath her, causing her to cling to the work surface desperately to avoid falling to the ground.  
Neva hated herself for being like this. She had wanted to have a relaxing evening in with Julian. Alas, that wasn't to be. Didn't the powers that be wish them to be happy?

Julian stood up in surprise when she threw up blood into the sink. "Neva.." he said quietly, walking over to her. He rubbed her back softly, trying to calm her down. He picked her up and leaned her against him when her legs buckled.  
His arms wrapped around her, he picked her up into the bridal style again, and slowly made his way up to his room. He laid her on the bed, and sat there, brushing her hair out of her face. "I think you're beyond the help of healing spells, Neva," he said softly. "You need to go to St. Mungo's." He stared down at her, feeling horrible. He had gotten her into this mess. He never should have asked her to come with him. He shook his head. If he'd had never asked…she wouldn't be in this state now!

Neva allows Julian to carry her to his bedroom, past the point of arguing with him. Something wasn't right and she knew it. She lays on his bed, her eyes feeling rather heavy. She just wanted to sleep. " No. I don't" she says hoarsely. " I'm fine. I'll be even better once you get started on our romantic evening" she whispers, a weak and forced giggle emanates from her lips.  
Neva hadn't felt this bad since the Werewolf. She knew Julian was ,wrongfully, blaming himself and it hurt her terribly. She would give anything to take that feeling away.

Julian shook his head when she mentioned their evening. "No," he said. "I'm sorry, I really am, but there's no way I'm going to force you to get out of bed on my behalf. I know it's your birthday, and it's a pretty crappy one at that, but I will make it up to you. Just as soon as you get better," he promised.  
He stayed there, not wanting to leave her side. He swore to himself he'd stay there all night if he had to. He wouldn't allow Neva to get any sicker. He just wished she'd let him take her to St. Mungo's.

Neva lays on the bed for some time, feeling weaker by the moment. She knew her pale, sticky skin stuck out like a sore thumb but for once she failed to be self conscious. She felt too awful to think about her ghastly appearance. She focuses her attention instead on how she would decorate her room. Anything to take her mind off of the pain that was circulating around her stomach.  
She looks up, noticing Julian's expression. He was worried and she didn't want him to feel any worse. "If you think it will help, take me to St. Mungo's" she says weakly.

Julian smiled softly; glad she gave in to him. He picked her up gently and smiled down. "This may hurt a bit, but it's the quickest way there." He closed his eyes and concentrated. He spun around and vanished from the room.  
When they arrived at St. Mungo's, he didn't put her down, but walked right into the hospital. He looked around for a nurse. "Damn…" he muttered. "Why isn't there anyone around when you need them? No nurses…no Healers…"

Neva closes her eyes, feeling all the more nausaes as Julian apparates them to St Mungo's. She opens her eyes again as he curses at the lack of healers around. His cursing is short lived however, as a rather kindly young witch bustles through a set of doors carrying a large pile of kindling. What does she need kindling for? Neva thinks to herself, feeling somewhat groggy. The nurse takes note of Julian stood holding her, and drops her wood into a nearby box before walking over to them. "I'll take that" she smiles, taking Neva from him. " I shall inform you of her condition in due course. If you'll just like to wait in the room over there" she beckons towards a room full of wooden chairs. Turning on her heels, she walks out of the waiting room, Neva in her arms, letting the door swing behind her.

Julian just blinked, as the nurse took Neva from him. She didn't even ask what was wrong with her. He frowned, wondering what was up with that nurse. He followed her to a waiting room and looked around. Not very cosy, he observed.  
He sat down in one of the uncomfortable chairs and waited. He fiddled with his wand, making things appear and disappear, hoping to Merlin that Neva was alright.

After numerous hours of testing and healing, the kindly young witch eases into the waiting room, closing the door gently behind her so her words are not over heard. She walks over to where the young man, presumably the girl's boyfriend, was sat on edge. She sits down beside him, shaking her head slightly as she looks at the boy.  
"We've run numerous tests and have discovered that the cause of, ah Neva's, blood expulsion was due to a tear in the lining of her stomach. I shan't ask as to how that occured. That isn't the matter at hand. The main concern is the stomach pain she has been suffering since, as she attributed it to, her fall. I'm afraid...well...Neva was pregnant at the time of the incident" she says softly, not quite sure if this was new information or not.

In her room at the end of a large corridor, Neva is sat up in her bed. Her vision not focused on anything in particular. She was too lost in thought at the information she had just received.

Julian looked up at the nurse as she came in. He almost choked on his breath as she explained what was wrong with Neva. His eyes widened and he coughed to clear his airway.  
"S-she was pregnant?" he stammered. His mouth dropped, and he collapsed back in his chair, his hands frantically running through his hair. "Oh my god…" he muttered. His mind flashed back to that night. It was their first time! There was no way she could have been pregnant! No way in hell.  
He didn't look at the woman. "Where is she?" he asked numbly. "I want to see her."

The nurse jumps slightly as the boy appears rather frantic at the news. "I take it you didn't know..." she says quietly. She stands back up, allowing the boy to collect himself. She walks over to the door, watching him closely. "I shall lead you to her" she says.  
She holds the door open for the boy to walk through it before walking in front of him. " Follow me" she says briskly, walking quickly down a large, empty corridor full of white walls. They reach the end of the corridor and the nurse points towards a small room. "She's in there" she informs him. She walks away to visit a rather vocal patient, knowing that the two would rather be alone.

Julian blinked and nodded. He stood up and followed her out. When she pointed to the room, he nodded. "Thanks," he said softly. He pushed open the door and entered.  
He saw Neva lying there, looking dazed. He didn't enter any further, but just stood there. He couldn't believe what he'd done. She'd been pregnant. He blinked furiously, trying to make sense of what happened. He hadn't…there was no way she'd been…He felt sick to his stomach. He knew Neva would hate him now. He didn't say anything to her, just let her sit there. It was enough for him. To just see the girl he loved.

Neva barely registers Julian hovering near the door. She felt much better after the healers worked their magic. Of course, now she knew what to attribute her stomach pain to. She had lost a child. The thought sickened her slightly, her thoughts conflicting. How could you miss something you never had? At the same time, she couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed that she was still a student, it was her first time.  
After a few moments of awkward silence, Neva looks up and beckons Julian to her bed. She didn't blame him. He wasn't to know. Pulling her legs up under her chin, she couldn't help but feel slightly hollow inside.

Julian watched her as she beckoned him closer. He obeyed and pulled up a chair next to her bed. He didn't know what to say to her. He felt, if it was possible, worse than he had ever felt before. He would have taken on a million Wendigos instead of finding out that he had impregnated Neva.  
He averted his gaze. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry." He felt like jumping off a building. The guilt was so much that he felt he would drown in it. Suddenly, the thought came to him that he never should have done that with her. He shook his head. No. He loved her, and she loved him. It was right. ….but only for the moment. They got caught up in the heat of victory. The heat of passion. And this was the result. Neva sick, and having lost a child. His child. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He felt so heavy now.

Neva sighs heavily as Julian pulls a chair over to her bed and sits down. She felt suddenly as though the walls were closing in on her. As though at any moment she would burst under the pressure of her own thought. She couldn't imagine how he must be feeling.  
Neva looks over at Julian as he apologises. "You weren't to know" she whispers. She leans over and gives him a hug, allowing her body to rest on his for a few moments before breaking away and placing a soft hand on his face. She rubs his cheek lightly with her thumb, looking deep into his eyes. "It's not your fault. We were wreckless, granted, but we did nothing to be ashamed of." she trails off, not sure of what else to say.

Julian looked up at her when she hugged him. He allowed her hand to rest on his cheek while he listened to her. "Neva…" he said helplessly. He shook his head, pulling back.  
"I'm sorry. I never should have gotten you into this. If we hadn't had…if I didn't…none of this would have happened." He avoided her gaze. He felt completely responsible. After all, if he had control over his hormones, none of this wouldn't have happened. He willed the welling tears to not fall. He didn't want her to see him cry. He stood up, and moved over to the window in the room. He numbly stared out of it. "Did you know?" he asked softly, suddenly. "Did you know you were pregnant?"

Neva shakes her head, leaning back against her pillows as Julian walks over to the window. She thinks for a moment, in the silence, trying to figure out the whole ghastly situation. She only hoped that, at the end of it all, they would come out all the stronger for their experiences.  
Neva looks up, a little taken aback as Julian asks is she knew. "Do you really think I would have put myself in harms way with the Wendigo if I knew I was carrying your child? I'm as shocked as you" she says through clenched teeth. The accusation that she would deliberately invoke harm hurt her greatly. The fact that it was the love of her life who was accusing her made it hurt even more.

Julian sighed. So she didn't know either. He turned to her slowly, a few tears streaked across his face. "I never wanted this for you," he whispered, his arms crossed protectively across his chest. "I never wanted you to get hurt." He walked over to her, sitting back on the chair, gazing into her eyes. "Please believe me. I love you. And I never, ever dreamed of this happening to you. I never wished this upon you"  
He felt terrible. He knew about her past, and her future was becoming just like that. And he was the cause of it all. He knew what he had to do, but he'd never abandon her. He'd never just leave her. Because she was stuck with him. He loved her, and he knew that they'd work through this.

Neva watches Julian's back for a few moments before he turns to her. She wanted so much to take the tears away. "I know." she says hoarsely, her own eyes welling with thought of the life changing trauma they were both working through. She watches Julian walk over to her and sit down upon his seat once more. She leans over and kisses him lightly on the lips before leaning back in her bed. She just hoped that whatever blame Julian placed upon herself, he could find his way to redemption. She needed him more than ever and knew that a part of him would be contemplating just walking away. She doesn't allow that thought to be more than a ghost in her mind, however. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

Julian smiled at Neva after she kissed him lightly. "You do know," he said quietly, grasping his hand in hers, "that I'll never leave you." He was serious too. There was no way he was going to leave her. He loved her too much to do that to the both of them.  
He sat there for a moment, just watching her. "Do you…do you feel any better now?" he asked her. He thought of how he would make this up to her, how he would try and get her to forget, at least for the moment, this whole ordeal. He wondered though, what life would have been like if they knew about the baby…and it was born…

Neva smiles gently at Julian, her hand in his firm hold. " I hope you never do". She hated the thought of going through her final year alone. Now that she had Julian, it was like they posessed a secret, something so amazing that nobody could ever know of its beauty. She, of course, did have a secret no other could ever know. She wouldn't tell another at Hogwarts about the child. It was for her and Julian to lament, not others to pass scorn on.  
She leans back on her pillow, breathing deeply and biting her lip. She looks up, alarmed, as a small boy runs into the room, closely followed by somebody she could only presume was his mother. "I'm very sorry for disturbing you" the woman apologises upon taking her babbling child captive and walking quickly out of the room. Her eyes well slightly, wondering what would have been. Soon, that could have been her child.  
"I'm fine. Yes." she says absently, still staring at the empty doorway.

Julian let out a short breath when a young boy ran into the room. His head snapped towards Neva. He knew what she was thinking. And tears welled in her eyes. He hated seeing her this way.  
"Neva…" he said softly. "It…it'll happen…" he said quietly. "You'll have a child of your own someday. Now just wasn't the right time." He sighed. "I believe that everything happens for a reason. There's a reason we lost…the…" he couldn't finish his sentence. But he was a firm believer in what he'd just said. He knew it happened for a reason, and he knew that his meeting Neva and falling in love with her was Merlin's way of making up for his lost family. And now that he loved Neva, and she loved him, he was going to do everything in his power to make her happy again.

"I know. I'm too young for a child. But...it was still a nice thought." Neva replies, breaking her gaze from the door and looking back at Julian. She smiles warmly. "You'll make a wonderful father someday". She intended to make that happen. He was the one she wanted to do all that with. Get married, have children, even grow old together.  
Neva thinks for a moment before speaking again. "Any idea when I'll be able to go home?" she asks, aware that she had just called Julian's house her home. A home. What a completely foreign concept to her. She loved the thought.

Julian smiled at Neva. So she wanted him to be the father of her children. Well, that he could do. He wasn't planning on leaving her anytime soon. She was stuck with him. "And you'll make a brilliant mother someday," he promised.  
Julian thought for a moment, pondering her question. He shook his head. "I've no idea, actually," he said. "But I do want you home soon. Maybe we could persuade the nurse to let you out on good behaviour," he joked. He noticed she called it home. He was glad. Glad that she thought of his home hers as well. He intended on making it hers too. Anything she wanted, he'd get for her.

Neva blushes slightly at Julian's compliment. "They don't call me Mother Goose for nothing" she giggles lightly. She was just thinking about climbing out of bed and walking to the healer in her gown when, talk of the Devil, she walks into the room.  
"How are we doing, Miss Amos" she says, not out of questioning, just a passing statement. She looks at a scroll of parchment in her hand before looking back up to Neva as she attempts to ask a question. " When I will I be fit to leave here?" she asks, the white walls starting to irk her slightly. "Well. Miss Amos" she exclaims, looking over her horn rimmed spectacles. " I would say in a few days. You lost quite a bit of blood" she says seriously. Neva bites her lip, thinking for a moment before responding. "I would like to discharge myself please" she says sternly. The healer looks at her as though she has just committed a great sin. "I highly recommend that you stay here where we can keep an eye on you dear" she says, pursing her lips. " Well I highly recommend that you allow me to leave" Neva retorts in an equally cutting manner. "Very well. Leave when you're ready" The healer hisses before walking out of the room again.  
Neva stands up gingerly from her bed, holding onto Julian's shoulder for support. Her bare feet hurting slightly on the cold white floor.

Julian almost burst into hysterical laughter as the healer came in, and Neva demanded to leave. He allowed her to lean on his shoulders as he shook with laughter.  
When the healer exited the room, he laughed loudly. "Ah, Neva!" he said brightly. "You are a firecracker. He chuckled once more and led her out of the room. He waited patiently at the front desk as Neva discharged herself.  
Once they were outside, he turned to her. "Shall I Apparate us back home?" he asked her graciously. His eyes twinkled with laughter. He still couldn't get over how demanding she was with that healer.

Neva smirks at Julians laughter as she walks out of the room and over to the front desk to discharge herself. The rather portly woman behind the desk hands her a scroll of parchment to sign and she does, eager to get out of the rather revealing hospital gown she was wearing. She hands the parchment back to the woman before walking back over to Julian, wrapping her arm around him as they walk out of the hospital to his laughter.  
Neva breathes in the fresh air, glad to be out of the sterile hospital room. "We'll apparate I think. Anything to get out of this" she motions towards her ridiculous gown " a little quicker" she smirks.

Julian smiled and followed Neva out of St. Mungo's. "So, you're alright now?" he asked, hopefully. He was glad Neva wasn't throwing up blood anymore, and he still had to prepare her birthday dinner. Though, to be quite honest, today didn't really seem the perfect day for a birthday dinner. Not after what they had found out only moments earlier.  
He smiled once more and nodded to her. "Seems like a good idea," he said. He seized hold of her waist, and pulled her close. "Let's go," he said, smiling brightly at her. "I want you back home." He kissed her forehead.

Neva nods to Julian's question. "I'm fine, honestly. I'll deal. Just give me time" she smiles weakly, leaning up against Julian as he kisses her forehead. " I want to go home too." she agrees.  
Neva takes Julian's hand and closes her eyes. They dematerialise from the front of the hospital, reappearing in the dark yard of Julian's orchard. She opens her eyes again and follows Julian through the cold, night air to the front door. She walks through it after him and heads straight to the sofa. She sits down, curling her legs underneath her and pulling the throw down from the back of the sofa to cover her trembling form.

Julian entered the kitchen, and put a pot of water on the stove. He flicked the knob, and prepared two cups and set them on the counter. He waited a few moments until the kettle began to whistle. When it did, he poured the steaming water into the cups and stirred the contents until they dissolved.  
He walked out into the living room and handed Neva a cup. "Be careful," he warned. "It's hot." He smiled at her. "It's cocoa," he explained. "I thought you'd need some after being in that horrible hospital bed." He shifted her legs just a bit, and sat down beside her, sipping his own cocoa.

Neva looks up as Julian reenters the living room carrying two cups. She takes hers gratefully, blowing on the contents before sipping at her cocoa. She takes the edge of the throw and places it over Julian as he moves her legs slightly to sit down. She lays her head onto his shoulder as she removes her wand from her gown pocket and casts a charm on the fire to light it. The flames crackle pleasantly, providing dim light in the darkened room.  
"Well this is cosy" Neva smiles, sighing slightly. It had been a very hectic day and she was glad of the break. She disregarded the rest she had had in ST. Mungo's. That had been tainted by the bitter news she had received.

Julian watched her as she lit the fire from where she sat. He nodded in agreement. "That it is," he said. "That it is." He wrapped his cold hands around his cup even tighter, and he sipped the cocoa. It was still hot, but its chocolate taste was working wonders on him. He felt more energized already. He pulled a hand from his cup, and began to absently play with Neva's hair as she rested her head upon his shoulder. This was bliss, he thought. Nothing could go wrong.

Neva registers Julian playing with her hair. She smiles slightly, her thoughts flitting between the days events and the happiness she was feeling at the moment. She sips at her cocoa, the chocolate warming her slender throat as it descends. She wasn't particularly concerned with filling the silence. This was enough for her. Just to be with Julian. That was enough to make her happy. The hollow feeling inside was still lingering horribly but Julian's presence disguised it. Her happyness was a shield that could not have been broken by her loss at this moment in time.

Julian watched the fire, silent. He had nothing to say, and knew that Neva wouldn't care. He continued to sip at his cocoa, just feeling Neva's warm body against his. Though thoughts of the day's events flitted through his mind, he couldn't help but feel just a bit peaceful right then. He felt that, even though what had happened, hadn't. That it was all just a bad nightmare, and that he would wake up from it. But he knew it wasn't so. He knew what happened, but he was glad that Neva was, if slightly, alright. He was worried though, too. He didn't want her to mask her emotions. He would have rather had her yelling, instead of just sitting there, in his arms, basking in the thought of losing a child.

Neva stretches slightly, placing her cup on the coffee table. "I'm just going to go powder my nose" she tells Julian before removing the throw and turning to walk into the hall. Once safely in the hall, she walks up the steps slowly and walks into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Once safely in the room, she walks over to the full length mirror and studies her visage. Turning sideways, she lifts up her gown, all the while tears are falling freely from her eyes. She pushes out her stomach, studying the shape for a moment before sighing, letting go of the image. She returns to her skinny form, dropping her gown again.  
Unlocking the door, her sore red eyes finding the light slightly offensive, Neva walks out of the bathroom and tiptoes down the steps, making sure Julian can't hear her. She walks into the kitchen and takes something from the cutlery draw before walking back into the hall. She walks up the steps, equally quiet, and returns to the bathroom, locking it behind her. After a few moments, Neva unlocks the door and walks out into the hall. She lopes down the steps gingerly, her stomach being tender again due to her recent action. She walks into the kitchen and rinses the knife in the sink before dropping it into the metal tub. She turns and walks back into the living room where she sits back down in her seat, flinching slightly at the fresh wounds. She wraps the throw back around her, resting her head on Julian;s shoulder.

ooc: Oh, fine. But promise not to tell Neva! giggles Julian's going to ask Neva to marry him after they graduate Hogwarts!!! He's got an engagement ring and everything!!

Julian nodded softly and allowed her to get up. He thought he knew what she was going to do. That hospital dress was pretty horrendous. He yawned and finished off his cocoa. He set the cup on the table and stretched his arms above him. He was growing tired, but he didn't want to fall asleep.  
He sat there for a while longer before hearing Neva enter the room again. He frowned as he saw her still in the hospital dress. He furrowed his brow, wondering what on earth she had been doing, if not changing her dress. Because she sure as hell wasn't powdering her nose. He didn't say anything, however, but just let her slip back into his embrace.

Neva sits silently, disregarding the cocoa placed on the coffee table. She had suddenly lost her need for it. She places her arm around Julian's waist as the fire crackles away, giving the room an eerie orange glow. " I think I may decorate my room tomorrow. t will give me something to do" she finally says, quietly. She was rather stuck on what else to do and had no real desire to visit Diagon Alley. She thought she may aswell get her creative juices flowing.

Julian looked down upon her, nodding. "Sounds like a good idea," he said, smiling slightly. "While you do that, I've got to run out to the village a few miles from here." He was glad Neva couldn't see him smiling broadly. He had just the thing to purchase, though he didn't know which one. But he did know that he'd wait until school started to give it to her.

Neva nods as Julian makes her excuses for the next day. "That's fine hun. You can be extra surprised when you see my room then" she giggles lightly. She hadn't any idea how she would decorate it, she just knew it would be completely different from what it is now.  
Neva lays on Julian's arm for a long while, contemplating everything yet nothing. As she watches the fire crackle pleasantly, she hums to herself, feeling utterly contented. Her eyes seem to go heavier as her tune progresses until she falls asleep, never finishing her song.

Julian nodded and smiled down upon Neva. He was eager to see what her room would look like. He listened to her hum, and his own eyes began to feel heavy. He closed them for only a moment, and when he opened them again, Neva was already asleep. He smiled softly, and wrapped his arms around her protectively as he closed his eyes, and fell into sleep.

After a fretless night, Neva opens her eyes groggily as the sun begins to rise over the orchard. She rubs them lazily with her hand, yawning. She smiles at Julian's arms, enveloped around her as she sleeps. thinking the he must be tired, she moves his arm softly so as to avoid waking him him up. She stands up and stretches, sneering as she lays her eyes upon the mirror opposite. She was still wearing her hideous hospital gown.  
Neva walks around the couch and enters the hallway. She nips up the stairs and walks into her soon to be bedroom. Sauntering over to a pile of clothes placed haphazardly in the corner, and crouches down to sort through them. Removing a small black T-shirt and pair of purple dungarees, she walks into the bathroom and locks the door behind her. As she turns on the taps and waits for her her bath to run, she conjures up some fresh underwear and removes the ghastly hospital robe. Neva spends a rather long time in the bath, perusing the wounds she had created in a fit of anger the previous evening. She regretted it now and knew that Julian would be ashamed if he knew of what she had done. She gets out of the warm bath somewhat reluctantly and gets dressed hastily, eager to get started on her room. She drains the tub and unlocks the door, walking through it as she heads back to her room. Once inside her room, Neva takes a large pot of purple paint and a roller, and begins to paint three of her walls. After a short while, with the aide of a painst spreading charm, the walls are coated, as well as there being a few random splashes of paint on her dungarees and her face, a large spot of pain residing on the tip of her nose. She then turns her attention to the wall at the front of her room. She takes a paintbrush and large palette of paint and begins to create a mural of a muggle festival known as Woodstock.

Julian vaguely felt Neva slither out from him, but he didn't wake. He shifted in his sleep, and let out a rather large snore. He stayed in that position for about an hour longer. Once he awoke, he felt very refreshed. He edged himself off the couch, and stood up, stretching. His neck was a bit sore after the position he slept the night before, but it was worth it.  
He heard the water turn off, and knew that Neva must have been taking a shower, or a bath. He headed up to his own room, and took a quick morning shower. When he through, he walked into his room and got dressed, wearing a pair of black slacks, and a navy blue sweater. He heard rustles in Neva's new room, and he smiled, knowing she would have started on it already. He didn't bother her while she was creating, and instead walked down to the kitchen. He put the kettle of water on again, and prepared himself some green tea. Sitting down at the table, he sipped the tea and looked around the room. He smiled; this was the life. He almost wished the summer to never end. He thought of his upcoming task. He would be buying a ring today. But he wouldn't give it to her until they got back to school. He had to wait for the right moment. He chuckled to himself, wrapping his hands around the warm cup for the heat. Every moment was the right moment whenever he was with Neva.

Neva had spent just over two hours on her mural and was rather impressed with the result. She now turns her attention to the rest of the room. She uses a summoning spell to retrieve her furniture from her bedroom, unwilling to part with the ones she had acquired throughout the years, stored in her former bedroom at her Uncle Remus'. Neva steps back and stands in the doorway of her room, pleased with the results. Her bed, crafted from old mahogany wood and stained to resemble an antique king sized bed, was placed with it's head against the back wall. The red and orange glass beads threaded throughout the frame glinted in the light to cast rather odd yet strangely beautiful beams of light around her room. A small, dark wood table was placed beside the bed, seating a muggle lava lamp. Her wardrobe, a rather odd creation of glass beads and clear plastic, stood in the corner, now housing her clothes which had been scattered carelessly on the floor. A red throw was placed over her bed, a smaller twin flung over her window seat, an array of brown and red pillows scattered on both. A baby grand piano stood near her mural, it's back to the window. A chest of dark wood drawers was placed by the side of the door frame, holding within it her most prized posessions, as well as her undergarments. Placed on top of the wood was a red glass cup with an array of strangely coloured quills, a green music box, a small figurine of an angel and a framed photograph of her parents. Her guitar was leaning against the chest.  
Once she is satisfied with the results, Neva walks out of the room and closes the door behind her. She places a small, ornate plaque on the door. it has inscribed on it in lettering created by a string of vines " Neva's room". She tweaks the plaque before turning around and walking down the staircase. She walks into the kitchen, her dungarees, nose and face flecked with paint, and walks over to the fridge, removing a bottle of water. She walks to where Julian is sat nursing a cup of tea at the kitchen table and sits down beside him.

Julian looked up as Neva joined him at the table. He almost laughed out loud when he saw her face and clothes. She was covered in paint, though not completely. "Had fun?" he asked, assuming that she did. A smile broke out onto his face, and he finished off the last of his green tea.  
He studied her for a moment. There was purple paint on her nose, and it still looked wet. He reached up a finger and brushed it over her nose. A bit of paint now covered his finger. He looked at it, then her, and chuckled. "So," he asked. "When can I see the room?" He was eager to see what she had done with it. After all, by seeing one's room, you see into their soul.

Neva looks thoughtfully at Julian, thinking for a moment. "Yes. I did have fun." she replies after a momentary silence. She had found that allowing her creative juices to flow had quite relaxed her. Her premise was that you have to allow yourself to get dirty once in a while to ease ones mind. She takes a sip of her water and sets her bottle onto the table. She giggles lightly as Julian removes a speck of paint from her nose with his finger, smiling as he finds particular amusement. " You can see my bedroom now of you want" Neva beams, standing up and taking Julian's hand. She leads Julian out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom. She pauses at the white door, her hand holding the handle firmly as she turns to him. "Be warned. It's a little more au naturale than you may be used to" she smirks before opening the door softly to reveal her new sanctuary.

Julian nodded, and allowed Neva to lead him up to her new room. As he stepped inside, he saw, immediately, a mural of something Muggle-like. He smiled. It was brilliant. "Did you paint this mural yourself?" he asked in disbelief. He spun around and gazed at everything that was in the room.  
He turned back to Neva and smiled appreciatively. "It's beautiful," he said honestly. "I love what you've done with it, I really do." He walked back over to her, and examined the room a bit more thoroughly. "It looks like you. I wouldn't expect anything less coming from you. You did a wonderful job," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "You really did."

Neva watches, smiling all the while, as Julian studies her bedroom. She watches with baited breath, hoping that he likes it. She hated the thought of him dissaproving. After all, it was his sister's room previously, so it was rather a dicey moment. Her heart leaps as Julian shows his approval. " I'm glad it has your seal of approval" she beams, wrapping an arm around his waist as he wraps an arm around her shoulder. "I hope you don't mind mey instruments making their way into my room. I couldn't bear to part with them." Neva asks. " After all. I still owe you a tune" she giggles.

Julian smiled and nodded. "Well, why wouldn't it? It's a beautiful room," he said truthfully. And he did rather like it. The piano was a nice touch as well. He smiled at her giggle. "I don't mind at all," he said. "So long as you don't play them at all hours of the night, keeping the neighbors up," he teased. He didn't actually mind, since there were no neighbors around for miles. And that was how he liked it.  
He looked around the room yet again. It really was an awesome room. He especially liked that mural. He made a mental note to ask her what that was a picture of later.

Neva smirks at Julian's warning. "Don't worry about it hun. I know you need your beauty sleep" she teases. She had been more tired as of late too. The events that had taken place across the summer had taken alot out of her. She was glad they could now relax. Watching Julian survey the mural once again, Neva pipes up. " It's a mural of Woodstock. It was a muggle music festival which took place in the mid sixties" she explains, noting the look of confusion on his face.

Julian glanced at Neva, smiling. "Woodstock, hmm? Can't say I've heard of it. It looks brilliant though." He chuckled. "I could see us fitting right in. Well, you, perhaps. Not me though." He shrugged, looking at the mural again. It really did look real. Like he could walk right in, and become part of the festival. 


End file.
